Challenge #98: SANTALYTICS 2017 - Part 2

[TaraM]

Decorate the table with colors so bright.
Blocking tools, macros, yellow threads alright!

With the image files added to our Tool Data from Part 1, create a unique periodic table of Alteryx tools visual that Santa can replicate en masse from year to year!

Goal: Make a periodic table of Alteryx tools with the visualization or reporting suite(s) of your choice and the provided tool data with image assets. Remember, our solutions need to dynamically update from Santa's new tool data each year!

Looking for a jump start or a refresher for your reporting skills? Register for our Introduction to Reporting live training this Tuesday! 

If you are just checking out #SANTALYTICS for the first time, please read our intro blog to see our team rap, learn about the badge, and maybe get a shot at some SWAG! Check out last week's solution here.

Provided: Exercise 1's Tool Data and Image Assets.yxdb

[estherb47]

@TaraM, so looking forward to this! But where is the yxdb?

[TaraM]

It is there now, @estherb47 - Can't wait to see what you come up with!

[ggruccio]

Looks great on screen, but I can only get it to render properly as html output.  Even though I choose 8.5 by 11 it is huge!

[patrick_digan]

I am exhausted after that one! I was receiving all sorts of PCXML errors; however, I was finally able to produce an HTML output that looked like I wanted.

EDIT: I tried to stay as true as possible to the periodic table of Alteryx tools. I don't believe the small image backgrounds were included with the challenge so I created those.

Spoiler

I started with my work from last week and added on.  I used a BUNCH of reporting tools - report text, overlay, layout.  I also used a macro to get the small background working, so I used a custom icon

I also created a blank box to fill the holes in the periodic table, and that caused a lot of PCXML problems when I tried to combine everything. I was able to get around it by crosstabbing, summarizing vertically, and then using the layout tool. There were many simpler ways to do this but they all produced errors for me. It could have been user error :) I had the same output issue as @ggruccio that required me to use HTML instead of pdf. I was happy with how it turned out!
Final output!this week's worklast week's work

[Ilías]

Thanks for the heads up regarding the output format, had the same issue. Had no time to look for an option to add the small background image. 

[NicoleJohnson]

My solution! I took a cue from @patrick_digan creativity in the last round and added a few "elements" to give it some extra spirit... :)

Spoiler

First, my Periodic Workflow of Alteryx Tools (so many Overlays...):
Second, my Periodic Table of Alteryx Tools! The numbers didn't print as well as they look on my screen, but they're there. And I need to go to bed, so good enough.

Cheers!

NJ

[LordNeilLord]

Thank @patrick_digan for the inspiration to leave the spacing!

Spoiler

[patrick_digan]

@LordNeilLord @NicoleJohnson @Ilías @ggruccio

Spoiler

I'm glad the rest of you figured out to use the Table tool... I completely missed that one!

[estherb47]

Spoiler

My solution. Whoa, this was a doozy!!!

Wanted an approach that wasn't bringing in any more graphics, so used the table approach to add in the small background color, so that the workflow is as flexible as possible.

Lots of overlay tools, and plenty of time spent playing around with them to figure out the padding needed, where to place the elements to overlay, etc. This tool is a challenge to use, as the offsets aren't very intuitive.

To ensure spacing for the first few rows of the table, generated extra rows using Generate rows, inserted them into the data, and then sorted.

Where I'm really proud of my work is using MOD and CEIL to create the Column and Row numbers (using 17 as the divisor for both)

Crosstab, table, another title, ANOTHER overlay, and a render. Like everyone else, my workflow threw errors when trying to render to a pdf, so this creates a temp html file.